What do you like to do on a B2B turnaround day?

I’m excited for our first true B2B, coming up this Christmas on the Regal Princess. We’ve done a couple of consecutive cruises on two different cruise lines in the past, but this will be our first time experiencing a true turnaround day when we return to Fort Lauderdale on a Sunday. Am so looking forward to my first time not having to get off the ship on the return to Port Everglades. I’ve always envied those who were leisurely wandering around or reading by the pool while the rest of us were schlepping our bags through the madness that is the Horizon Court on disembarkation day.

DS 21 and DD 19 have already decided that they will Uber to Sawgrass while DH, my friend, and I will possibly walk to the Harbour Shops area. So, my question is...what have YOU enjoyed doing on that turnaround day, regardless of the port?

#1: Not getting up so early because I don't have to do so since I am not leaving the ship

#2: People Watch: Watching the new guests arrive, I find interesting. Sometimes, some contractors arrive and will be doing some work where I am. Watching them and sometimes talking with them is also interesting to me and sometimes informative as well.

#3:: Read the book that I brought along since I have not made much progress with it so far.

We very often T had URN round day in FLL and sometimes grabbed a taxi, went to one of the hotels on 17th street near the cruse terminal W e had friends There who permitted us to use the pool, for the day. we visited with our frinds had nice lunch on the patio at the pool.... then garb a taxi back to the ship. :) A freally nice day :)

#1: Not getting up so early because I don't have to do so since I am not leaving the ship

 

#2: People Watch: Watching the new guests arrive, I find interesting. Sometimes, some contractors arrive and will be doing some work where I am. Watching them and sometimes talking with them is also interesting to me and sometimes informative as well.

 

#3:: Read the book that I brought along since I have not made much progress with it so far.

I like all aspects of your turnaround day! If the Harbor Shops are open early enough (it’s a Sunday, but it is the holiday season so perhaps earlier opening hrs) I might head out there and then come back early enough to do #2 and #3 :).

If it's just FLL, we'd likely treat it as a sea day, aside from heading to the nearest shop for 2 more bottles of wine and any other small sundries purchases. At other, more interesting ports, we want to be off the ship as fast as possible to see what there is to see, returning later in the afternoon. We had a great day doing that in San Juan, and look forward to the same in Singapore.

Once disembarking, can we come back at any time or do we have to wait until they allow regular boarding? Eg. Could we get off at 7:30 and re-board at 9:00?

On a turn around day in the US, we had to get off the ship so they could put their passenger count to zero. Some people waited in the terminal to return to the ship right afterwards. No waiting for new passenger embarkation. There was also a separate line with signs for b2b cruisers later in the day while embarkation was going on for new passengers.

In Miami we did a harbor boat tour. In San Diego, we took the local public transportation. I would probably do another harbor cruise in Fort Lauderdale if one is available. We also went to a drugstore to buy sundries.

You will get an 'in transit pass' which allows you to bypass check int hat is going on for those just joining the ship.

Fantastic! Thank you, Floridiana and sail7seas.

In Ft Lauderdale we normally treat a turn around day as a sea day. Because of the US CBP rules we do have to exit the ship until the vessel goes through its "zero out" procedure and gets cleared. During time (it usually takes about an hour) those of us who don't want to go out on the town simply wait in a holding area (inside the terminal) until we can reboard. I know this sounds boring but we cruise for the ship..not necessarily the ports. And we used to live near Ft Lauderdale (Plantation) and have no big love of the area. This December we will have a turn-around day in Miami...and we are debating whether to stay on the ship or perhaps grab a taxi over to South Beach.

Hank

you will get a letter the day before giving you b-to-b instructions.

if we didn't feel like going oug and around i n FLL< We would exit the ship as instructed but wuld not sit in a

' holding pen' .

W would scan off the ship and hen settle ourselves on one of the outdoor park benches in the rear of the terminal. Some have lovely shade from thegtrees. We'd 'play with crew as they left the sip during their brief time off. Or read our books etc Sometime we'd make a few lengthy phone calls When they started to let in transists back on, we would scurry through (nearby ) security and back onto the ship. We would not and did not have to it in a designated indoor space. Why stay inside on a beutiful day if it is not required?

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If the ship has laundry facilities, I would have already done laundry. So, I would probably head to the pool. If it didn't have that feature, like RCI or Celebrity, I would get off and find a laundromat and get my clothes for the next week "in order"!!!

you will get a letter the day before giving you b-to-b instructions.

 

if we didn't feel like going outand around i n FLL< We would exit the ship as instructed but wuld not sit in a

 

' holding pen' .

W would scan off the ship and hen settle ourselves on one of the outdoor park benches in the rear of the terminal. Some have lovely shade from thegtrees. We'd 'play with crew as they left the sip during their brief time off. Or read our books etc Sometime we'd make a few lengthy phone calls When they started to let in transists back on, we would scurry through (nearby ) security and back onto the ship. We would not and did not have to it in a designated indoor space. Why stay inside on a beautiful day eday if it is not required?

 

 

 

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soorry duplicate

I tried to eliminate the other but it was too late.

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If you don't necessarily want to spend a lot of time onshore, turn-around day is your best opportunity to get ship photos without crowds of people in every venue. Pretend you're on your own private very large yacht and enjoy the relative privacy all over the ship.

There was a time when we had hours on our 'private yacht' but not now. IN a U.S. . port, you mus leave for zero down and there are a greag many more people now doing b-t0-b whereas it was not as comon some years ago.

We enjoy staying on the ship for our "turnaround" days. (y)

I’m excited for our first true B2B, coming up this Christmas on the Regal Princess. We’ve done a couple of consecutive cruises on two different cruise lines in the past, but this will be our first time experiencing a true turnaround day when we return to Fort Lauderdale on a Sunday. Am so looking forward to my first time not having to get off the ship on the return to Port Everglades. I’ve always envied those who were leisurely wandering around or reading by the pool while the rest of us were schlepping our bags through the madness that is the Horizon Court on disembarkation day.

 

DS 21 and DD 19 have already decided that they will Uber to Sawgrass while DH, my friend, and I will possibly walk to the Harbour Shops area. So, my question is...what have YOU enjoyed doing on that turnaround day, regardless of the port?

In most US ports you DO have to get off the ship so it can be zeroed down. You can wait in a special area in the terminal and reboard when notified.

You might want to consider taking in some of the local fun things. The Art Museum is fun, you can check out what they have on their site; they open at 10, lots of time to goof off and then do that. There are several decent restaurants in that area (and some not quite so good). Check out TripAdvisor to see if there is something that might be FUN and kill a few hours while all those folks are getting stressed as they are getting ready to board.

If you elect to stay on the ship, you will be taken off as a group and go through the ho-hum customs area and then led back to the ship. Avoid that and go ashore.

Jim

TAD we stay on the ship and chill out. The cruise lines we've done B2B cruises with have always offered a B2B lunch in the MDR so we'll also attend that.

Do we have to get off the ship with the disembarking passengers? What is the average time we have to get off? It would be nice not to have to be up super early.

Do we have to get off the ship with the disembarking passengers? What is the average time we have to get off? It would be nice not to have to be up super early.

It depends on whether your turn around day is in a US Port or elsewhere in the world. In the USA, the federal authorities (CBP) impose a regulation which forces cruise ships to "zero out" before they can be cleared to start embarking passengers on their next cruise. "Zero-out" essentially means that all the passenger (even infants) must disembark the ship and be cleared through Passport control before embarkation (including those doing back to backs) can start. On most ships, those who want to stay aboard will be told to meet at a certain place on the ship at a certain time (often around 9:30am). They are usually escorted off the ship in a group and put into a "holding area" where they simply wait until the ship is cleared. Once cleared that group will usually be among the first allowed back on the ship. You other choice is to simply leave the ship in the morning (before you join the back to back group) and go enjoy the port. When you return later in the day you will be able to bypass the usual check-in procedures and just board the ship with your cruise card. Depending on the cruise line you will either get to keep one card for all your voyages or you will be issued a new card for each subsequent voyage.

If your turn around day is in most other parts of the world you will generally not have any obligation and can simply stay on the ship.

Hank

We have not had any turn around days in the US. In Athens, Dubrovnick, and Istanbul, we simply used those as regular excursion days. We were some of the first off the ship, and the last back on. We did not have to go to the safety drill on the second legs so we got back on board about 45 minutes before sailing. It was fun sitting in the bar watching everyone else going through the drill.

Only completed 1 B2B in FLL and we departed the ship (zero clearance req) for a wander around the local area. Stopped for lunch and the liquor store for more wine.

At other ports, we have taken a variety of excursions, both ship and private.

Forgot about the possibility of not having to do a second drill. Bonus! :D

I’m thinking an early disembarkation to walk to Ross (trailing after all the crew who seem to be in that location regularly) to pick up a sparkly New Yrs eve dress for week two and then back to the ship by 10:00 to do some people watching. Looking forward to actually being able to take in all the newbies who come on with that look of wonderment which can never be recaptured after that first cruise! On our regular embarkation days, we’re usually too busy getting settled in and running to Alfredo’s for our traditional lunch to really do any people watching.

Do we have to get off the ship with the disembarking passengers? What is the average time we have to get off? It would be nice not to have to be up super early.

Of course you can just disembark with all of the other passengers and return to the ship later.

It is my experience after a good number of B2B cruises that if only a few passengers in the B2B category, you had to disembark as the last passengers off the ship with a ship's escort taking you to the "In-Transit" waiting area, wait until all of the ship's passengers have disembarked (anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour), and return to the ship when released to do so (hopefully, one hour before other passengers begin boarding).

If there are many passengers in the B2B status (usually Caribbean cruises), your room cards are scanned as if you were disembarking the ship before you enter a large shipboard waiting area to wait for release back to the ship (anywhere from 15 minutes to half hour depending on how prompt all passengers feel like being).

You will not know for certain which B2B method will be used until notified during your cruise.

I use the time between my return to the ship, and new passengers boarding, as a chance to take photos of those areas that are normally not available for photos (spas, staterooms, treatment rooms, restaurants, retreat cabanas, etc.).